This invention pertains to a water pumping system and apparatus for pumping water out of the ground, for example, prior to excavating the area and which may include a series of well points installed in an area of the ground which is to be dewatered or dried out.
In the co-pending application, Ser. No. 497,838, filed May 25, 1983, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,517 which issued May 7, 1985 and entitled WELLPOINT SYSTEM AND APPARATUS, an apparatus and system of the general type to which this invention pertains is shown and described. The subject matter of that application is directed to a portable pumping apparatus which is located directly adjacent the work area but the power for driving that apparatus is remotely located at some distance away and is connected thereto to hydraulic lines. Furthermore, that prior art system utilized a hydraulic drive which, among other things, required seals and bearings for the driven impeller and which were located in the chamber containing the water to be pumped. This arrangement necessitated expensive construction and presented maintenance which are not found in the present invention.
Other U.S. patents relating to this general type of apparatus are U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,860 issued Feb. 15, 1983 and entitled SUBMERSIBLE HYDRAULIC PUMP OF THE AXIALLY DIRECTED INLET AND TANGENTIAL OUTLET TYPE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,400, issued Feb. 26, 1980 and entitled INTEGRAL PUMP AND DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY, U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,865 issued Feb. 10, 1981 and entitled CONTROL MEANS FOR PREVENTING WATER OVERFLOW INTO VACUUM TYPE PRIMING PUMP.